English
limaille
Limaille comes from French limaille ‘metal filings’, and goes back to limer ‘to file’.
- Frenchc. 1600–presentlimer‘to file’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentlimaille‘metal filings’
- Englishearliest quotation 1833same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Frenchc. 1600–presentlimer‘to file’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentlimaille‘metal filings’
- Englishearliest quotation 1833same form
Earliest quotation: 1833, John Forbes: “This absence of blood, which was in accordance with…”
Linked words
through French lime
Today it means
noun Bits of waste metal mixed with bone, dust, etc.; lemel.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / French limer / limaille